A Mid-Solstice Nights Dream
by ladyleonie
Summary: A re-telling of "A Midsummer Nights Dream" using characters from Xena.


A Mid-Solstice Nights Dream  
By Lady Leonie  
  
Disclaimer: No copyright infringement is intended towards the owners of Xena Warrior Princess or William Shakespeare. G  
  
Synopsis: A total refabrication of "A Midsummer Nights Dream" using characters from the Xenaverse.  
  
  
Zeus, the ruling king of the gods, watched as the events began to unfold on earth. A procession of gods and mortals were gathering to witness the nuptials of his beloved daughter and the king of Corinth. When the ceremony was completed, she would no longer be a goddess and her position had to be filled. Contenders for her place as goddess of love were among those at the gathering, although, they had no idea of their possible fate.  
  
  
The crowd quieted to a hush, when the herald began trumpeting the arrival of the intended couple. When Iphicles and Aphrodite stepped out into the atrium, a thunderous roar shook the castles very foundation. The whole of Greece was in awe of the love story between the good king and his goddess. Old enemies put aside their differences out of respect for the proceedings. Among the most notable were Ares and his half-brother Hercules. The two called an unspoken truce for the duration of their visit and actually spoke amicably together. The most inspired by this happening were Xena and Gabrielle. They looked on the two men with admiration and a secret love in their hearts.  
  
Later that eve…  
The guests were about to adjourn from the dining hall, when king Iphicles made a suggestion. He urged the gathering to enjoy the mild weather and view the newly restored castle gardens. Leading the entourage, Iphicles and Aphrodite exited the hall. Trailing up the rear Ares and Hercules argued on who would escort Xena through the garden paths. Gabrielle watched dejected as the man she secretly loved fought over this right. Unaware of her friends' feelings, Xena chose Ares to accompany her. When the duo walked ahead, Hercules took Gabrielle's arm and rushed to catch up.   
Back on Olympus…  
  
Zeus' brow furrowed at the turn of events. This was not what he had intended at all. With a booming voice, he beckoned his nephew Cupid to appear. In the blink of an eye, the winged god of love appeared. Zeus motioned for him to come closer and whispered instructions into his ear. With a mischievous wink, the cherub flew from the chamber.   
  
  
Back in the dining hall…  
Iolous tripped through the door, cursing himself for the lateness of his arrival. Surely, his best friend Hercules had already arrived and even now wondered what had delayed him. He only wished an answer would come to mind. The last thing he could recall was kissing his wife, Lila good-bye and entering the forest on the way here. After that it all turned fuzzy. The only bits of memory he could recall were more a dream then reality. For surely it had been a dream. The occurrences were too fanciful to be real. Finding himself alone in the hall he sat down and waited. While he sat he pressed his mind to recall what had happened.  
  
In the gardens…  
Each couple seemed to find a different path to explore. Ares and Xena disappeared along the path to the statuary, while Hercules and Gabrielle chose to enter the maze. For a time the bard and the demi-god chatted on non-sensicle things. Before long his frustration from Xena and Ares coupling ruled the conversation. Not being of a mean heart, he did not realize how the topic saddened his companion. She too wished the pairings were reversed.   
Meanwhile, Ares and Xena stopped to admire a marble rendering of Cupid. Unaware that the statues model was secretly spying on them from the trees. He struggled to recall the orders given by his uncle. Two apart and two together were the order, but which two he could not remember. So, silently he watched hoping for a sign. A movement from the couple captured his attention. His uncle Ares was pressing his intentions on the warrior princess. Believing this to be the sign he craved, he threw out a spell.   
Had he waited he would have known his perception was deceived. For the warrior princess did not crave his attentions, but that of his half-brother. Her agreement to walk with him was out of love for her companion. Believing that Gabrielle carried a hatred of Ares, she agreed to accompany him on this night. She saw Ares thoughts shift to romantic affections and was prepared to render him asunder. Abruptly he stopped in mid intention and curled his lip as in distaste. Flinging himself away from the warrior princess he questions what his motives had been. The thought of kissing Xena now filled him with foul humor. Without a word he took his leave, causing a look of sheer confusion to mask Xena's face.  
  
Olympus…  
The king of the gods was filled with outrage. "Cupid!" he bellowed. The imp appeared feeling pleased with his mission. Zeus saw this look and pounded it from his face. When Cupid asked what the matter was his uncle growled that the wrong couple had been enchanted. It was the other that needed separating. Quick to apologize and swearing to un-mix the mix-up, Cupid once more returned to the garden.  
  
In the maze…  
Fed up with Hercules' one-track mind, Gabrielle set off un-noticed down a different path in the maze. Unmindful of her direction, she bumped squarely into the chest of the god of war himself. Fluttered to stuttering, she could not express her thoughts. Already irritated at the past events, Ares dismissed the twittering blond and began to walk past. His lack of attention sparked her ire and the words began flowing freely. Grasping him by the shoulder, she admonished him soundly for his dismissal. Declaring her love in a moment of bravery and announcing it to the heavens. Ares looked down his arrogant nose at her admission and proceeded on his path. Not to be ignored, the bard once more took him to task nearly beggaring herself at his feet. The site was purely pitiful to Cupids eyes and his heart expanded taking up her cause. When the god once more took his leave sending the poor bard into tears, he followed. As Ares rounded the corner of a particular row he felt an odd sprinkling feeling then a rush of emotion come over him. "What am I doing?" he thought," I love that girl!" He quickly turned around and rushed to the spot of his folly to find the bard still weeping. Still stunned by his behavior, Gabrielle greeted the god, not with love but venom. When he began expressing his love for her she admonished him for trickery. When he begged for her heart, she smited him with a berry branch. She could not believe that his sudden change of heart was genuine. It had to be an evil ploy to render her senseless with pain. Gathering the last of her pride, Gabrielle rushed away from the lovesick god.  
  
Pleased with his accomplishment, Cupid left to finish his mission.   
  
Back in the hall…again  
  
Iolous snored his mind back in the dream world. All around him appeared flights of fancy. Elves, fairies and all manner of mystical creature followed his every step. Fleeing their presence he found himself in the halls of a temple. The matron goddess of the temple sat her throne and watched his approach. The fool had walked right into her trap. She would get at that whelp Hercules by be-witching his friend. Her spell did not take long in enchanting the mortal as look of admiration proved. The beautiful goddess tempted the mortal with a banquet, even the gods would envy. Always one to be ruled by his stomach, Iolous eagerly began to feast on the bounty. With one eye on the beauty and the other on the feast he did not notice the changes occurring to his person. His lustful eyes began to take on the hue of a lemon and his ears elongated and flopped at his neck. When the queen began to laugh, he laughed along, but instead of his robust chuckle, the neigh of an ass emerged.   
  
The garden awaits…  
Curious to the motives of his nephew, Cupid, Zeus appeared in the garden at his side. When he asked the nymph what mischief he was up to, Cupid shrugged and said it was a matter of the heart. Since his blunder figured nicely into his plan, Zeus took his leave instructing Cupid to finish his task.   
Just as the king of the gods disappeared, Hercules emerged from the maze. His first sight was a still bewildered Xena. He quickly walked up to the warrior princess and inquired into her look. She explained about Ares odd behavior. Hercules saw this as his opportunity to press his suit and moved closer. Xena waited anxiously as her hearts desire came a hairs breath away from kissing her ready lips. Before they could touch Cupid once again stepped in. Casting his spell once more, he watched the same result as before. Hercules jerked to a halt and looked Xena over as he would the ugliest ogre. At that moment he remembered leaving the fair Gabrielle alone in the maze and raced back to find her. Stomping her feet in frustration, Xena gave chase. She was determined to find out what was happening.  
  
The chase…  
The walls of the maze began to blur together as Gabrielle raced through, searching for an out. Only a few steps behind her Ares was calling out for his love to stop. His calls only motivated her to move faster, so she did not see Hercules until she was wrapped in his arms. Relief swept through her and she told her friend off Ares evil manners. Enraged that his brother would treat his love thusly, he swore vengeance. Gabrielle looked at the odd look in his eyes and flinched. He too was in on the play. What folly to believe in either of them was her thought and she pulled away. Hercules soon found himself on the receiving end of her rampage. When her breath became labored from her words, she once more fled into the shadows. She neatly rounded a hedge, passing Xena in her rush. In a thrice the two men followed in succession, chasing the object of their sudden emotions. Xena had all she could take. Gripping her chakram, she let it fly.  
  
Iolous dream…  
He was an ass! The polished metal of the silvery tray confirmed his fears. In shock at his predicament he barely noticed the hands stroking the soft fur at his nape. Hera chuckled in his ear and inquired if his true self were palatable to him. A answer to the negative failed to pass his lips, when Hera's dark magic began to take hold. He was drawn into the subtle seduction and forgot his altered visage. Tonight, she promised, he was her king. Her lips caressed his and reality was lost.  
  
The end of the line…  
The chakram sliced through the heavy brush, knocking an urn from its place. They all slowed as the urn fell in slow motion and crashed on top of Hercules head. Horrified at what she had done, Xena rushed to his side. She placed kisses on his discolored brow, before kissing his lips with her own. At their lips meeting Cupids' spell was broken. His own heart had won out and his eyes regained their light. Throwing his arms around Xena, he proclaimed his love and was heartened when she did the same. Although happy for her friend, a great sadness engulfed Gabrielle's soul. Now she was truly alone. Ares arms wrapped around her and he once more told her his feelings. Before she could protest his lips claimed hers in a fiery kiss. The passion of her heart welled and she longed for his words to be true. When at last, both couples caught their breath; it was to find the fianced couple had joined them.  
  
The weddings…  
  
A perfect day dawned as the bells rang out, proclaiming the end of the ceremony. At the head of the crowd three couples stood accepting the accolades of those attending. Each couple only had eyes for each other. They were all filled with the knowledge that at long last they were with the one they loved. The most thankful was Gabrielle. She looked at her new sister Aphrodite and sent a silent thank you. When the couple had found them the night before, Aphrodite had explained everything. Her son had come to her for aid in his mishaps. They had rushed to the couples to find that all had righted itself in their absence. When the couples had kissed their "true loves" Cupids spell was broken. Aphrodite assured her that although he had not known it, she was Ares love, not Xena. It had only taken a push in the right direction for him to realize it himself. Overcome with emotion, Gabrielle had embraced Ares and pronounced her love for him as well. So here they were and all was right with the world…except. Where was Iolous?   
  
The reception…  
The banquet hall rang with laughter as Iolous spun his tale of the bewitching queen and the ass. His anger at their disbelief was comical to behold. They questioned why and how. What woke him from his reverie and sent him home? His answers were vague in the extreme especially his tale of stepping on the queens toe with his cloven foot and being exiled from her realm. When the tale was finished and Iolous sat musing in the corner the others finished their meals. All was well until the father of the bride made his appearance. Silence reigned as the king of the gods explained his actions. The night's revelry had been a test one whose outcome would decide Aphrodite's successor. With a decided sparkle in his eye, Zeus walked over to Ares and Gabrielle. Placing his hand on her heart, Zeus welcomed her to the family and her place as the new goddess of love.  
  
As the solstice eve night came to a close each couple lay happily in their beds dreaming of what joy each new day would bring.  



End file.
